DLA Piper appoints Richard Reilly as partner

DLA Piper has appointed Richard Reilly as a partner in the firm’s global investment funds practice. He will be based in the firm’s New York office and he will also be working in conjunction with the firm’s London office.

Reilly was formerly global co-head of White & Case’s Securitisation Group and a partner in its Investment Funds Practice. He has an extensive securities practice that focuses on investment fund formation in the United States and Europe, and represents credit-oriented hedge funds and private equity-style funds, as well as placement agents. In addition, Reilly has extensive securitisation, structured finance and derivatives transaction experience, and was the founding member of White & Case’s London structured finance practice. He received his JD and BS from Georgetown University.

“Rich’s experience representing financial institutions and investment fund managers around the world, coupled with his history of building interdisciplinary, cross-border client service teams, will be a significant benefit to us and our growing practice,” says Roger Meltzer, global chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate and Finance practice.

"The appointment of Rich is part of our strategy to deliver investment funds capabilities to our clients across the globe and complements the recent creation of the firm's International Securities group and the hire of George Barboutis," says Charles Severs, the head of DLA Piper’s UK Corporate group. "The investment fund teams on both sides of the Atlantic will benefit enormously from Rich's expertise and we very much look forward to working with him."

With his addition to DLA Piper, Reilly is also rejoining David Goldstein, the head of the firm’s Investment Funds practice and the co-head of White & Case's investment funds practice until his move to DLA Piper in 2011.

"Rich is a tremendous addition to our investment funds practice, and he adds considerable depth and experience to our securitisation team as well," said David Goldstein, head of DLA Piper's Investment Funds practice. “He will also help us better serve our debt fund clients, and his clients will benefit from the recent addition of Wes Nissen and his financial services regulatory team to our Corporate and Finance practice.”

Nissen recently joined DLA Piper in Chicago as head of the firm’s Financial Services group, along with former Winston & Strawn colleague Edward Johnsen, who joined in New York. They and Reilly are among more than 20 lawyers who have joined DLA Piper since January. In the firm’s Corporate and Finance practice, this has also included nationally recognised private equity lawyer Daniel Eisner, who joined the firm in New York from Proskauer, and Kathleen Smith Ruhland, who joined the firm’s Minneapolis office from Faegre Baker Daniels and focuses on cross-border transactions, including global M&A, restructurings and joint ventures in established and emerging markets.